The Oasis and Other Zutara Stuff
by sasoriza92
Summary: Katara still hates Zuko with a passion, but will she change her views of him with the help of a serene oasis? Other Zutara stuff will be added later! A collection of Zutara stories that I've written. Will write for reviews too! D
1. The Oasis

_Disclaimer: I own Avatar as much as I own the internet..._

**The Oasis**

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Her cuts ached and stung as she stormed away from the camp. There had been a brawl with a ban of Fire Nation soldiers earlier, and she had gotten hit on multiple accounts. Ever since the Day of Black Sun, they had been on the run, trying to avoid the ever lurking foot-soldiers. It was beginning to become a nuisance. She continued walking heavily to where the spirits know where. In other terms, she was just walking aimlessly to try to gain control over her anger. 

Frequently, she would peer over her shoulder, daring to see if anyone was following her. _Good_, she thought, satisfied to be alone. Her uneven steps were echoed by the crunching of the leaves and twigs beneath her feet. For some reason, she stopped coldly, body tense.

"I know you're following me," she mumbled under her breath. There wasn't any movement except for the casual sway of the branches in the breeze. "Seriously," she began, annoyed once again, "stop following me, Zuko. I don't want anything to do with you right now."

From behind a thick shrub, he came out, his body still sore from the fight earlier. "Katara," he sighed, wishing she would lighten up. "Can't I at least talk to you? Just for a minute?" he pleaded.

She began to walk forward again, more stiffly this time. "No," she called back. Zuko groaned, and moved into a slow jog to keep up with her firm pace.

"Come on," he drew out. "You can't honestly still be mad at me? I've been traveling with you guys for nearly a month now. When will you lighten up a bit?"

"Just because my friends like you," she hissed, whirling around to face him unexpectedly, "doesn't mean I have to." Zuko stood awkwardly with her pointing at him, waiting to hear her next insult. "I don't care how much you say you've changed. It doesn't change anything for me." Katara began to saunter away coldly, but stopped several yards away. "And if you keep hounding me like this," she warned with haste, "I won't hold back when I say that there will be bruises."

At that point, Zuko stopped following her. He watched her slink away through the dense forested path. Her threat hadn't frightened him, but it was the fact that she was still so bitter toward him that had him at wit's end. Everything he had done for the past several weeks had been nothing but kindness, yet she still refused to even half-heartedly look at him. All he ever got from her were scowls and cold stares. Deep down, Zuko was beginning to wonder if he would ever gain the girl's trust back. She had every right not to forgive him, but it was the least she could do for him. It was all that he asked for.

As the path cleared and opened up, Katara could feel the rush of life go through her system. The moon was at its fullest tonight, giving her plenty of strength. "Shame you didn't come out sooner," she nearly whispered to herself. Her mind shot back to the fight that had occurred just hours before. With a sigh, she made her way forward to the next open area. Once she got there, she loosely tugged on her red skirt. She hated that she was still wearing the Fire Nation clothing, but they were the only clean clothes that she had. Her regular clothes had become soiled and were in need of mending after the soldiers attacked. Thankfully, she liked the way that the Fire Nation clothing flattered her figure.

A trickling stream was nearby, calling to Katara like an old friend. She softened when she saw the sight of the calm waters. Following its graceful path, she found herself standing on top of a hidden oasis. Her eyes gleamed at the beauty that surrounded her, but something didn't feel right. Something was off. Frantically, she looked around, and two small flames caught her attention. On the other side of the oasis sat Zuko, his two candles lit, eyes closed in a meditative state. Katara cautiously watched him from a distance. From here, he seemed so normal to her. He was silent, at peace. This intrigued Katara, and even though part of her was telling her to get out of there, she stayed put, watching, waiting to see of the price would do anything.

The minutes ticked by, and nothing seemed to change. Katara hadn't moved from her spot since she had gotten to the oasis. She traced every muscle line on his forearms with her eyes, marveling at how finely cut they were. Out of the silence, he moved, and Katara shut her eyes instantly, praying that he hadn't seen her.

When she didn't hear him yelling, or even moving for that matter, she slowly opened her eyes again. The reddened vest that he usually wore around camp was carelessly tossed aside. Katara did her best to resist the urge to look away, but she gave in anyway. Zuko was still sitting cross legged in front of the two burning candles. She watched how the flames rose and fell with each breath he took. Inhale. Exhale. Rise. Fall. More so, she noticed that it wasn't just his arms that were lightly toned. Her own breaths began to fall in line with his, and Katara found that she was relaxing, until that silence was broken.

"Ka-tar-a!" her brother shouted obnoxiously from a distance. She cringed at the sound of her brother's voice. With out caution, she looked back over to see if Zuko was still there. He was picking up the candles, ever so carefully blowing the small flames out. Then he looked up. Katara flew back, hoping that he hadn't caught her. Everything in her head began to spin. What if he had saw her watching him? What would be her excuse? Nervously, she turned around to see if he was still watching her, staring her down with his piercing golden eyes. To her relief, there was no trace of the prince anywhere. That's when Katara remembered that her brother was still looking for her. Quickly she stood up, running toward the sound of his voice.

Later on that night, before Katara went to sleep, she found herself staring at the prince's empty sleeping bag. Every memory she had of him, the bad ones, were replaying in her mind. However, she didn't feel anything. She didn't feel the hatred that she normally felt. She didn't feel the fear. No, she felt nothing, nothing except calm. Deep, sincere thoughts of Zuko began rambling in her head. Now that she really thought about it, he really had changed. He would always be the first one up in the morning to begin to heat up the water for breakfast. He always cleaned up after himself, something Sokka had yet to master. Most importantly, though, he had always been kind to her. Never in his time traveling with them had he yelled at her. Never had he ever accused her of doing wrong. In fact, he had done nothing but try to prove himself to her, that he was worthy of her trust. What did she do in return? She had spit foul words in his face, called him a liar, and treated him like dirt.

The light sound of feet made her turn around on her not nearly soft enough blanket. Zuko was standing above her, his hand held out to her. "Come on," he called gently, "I want to talk." Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he helped her up. His firm, yet gentle, grasp made her feel safe. She followed him closely, not saying a word. When he finally stopped, Katara noticed that they were once again at the oasis. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, but her face showed nothing but calm.

"It's mesmerizing, isn't it?" he asked coolly. Katara faintly nodded in response, still unable to find her own words. "I've been coming her for several days now," he began, his voice full of emotion. "It's a shame that we're going to have to leave it now, isn't it?" Again, Katara shook her head _yes_ in response. He chuckled lightly, his warm smile beaming. "That's why I would come here to meditate. It's so soothingly peaceful, perfect for meditation. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Why did you bring me here?" Katara asked instead of answering him. She looked confused, more than anything. He smiled again, that warm, inviting smile of his.

"I thought that this was appropriate, seeing as you seemed to have become fond of the oasis, as well," Zuko responded calmly.

Katara felt herself begin to blush. He knew that she had been watching him earlier. "Yeah, um, about that," she said in a hushed tone. "Sorry, about watching you. I mean, I don't know what came over me, and ―"

Zuko put a finger to his lips, and Katara quieted down. He didn't say anything to her, but his eyes were a book that she was reading like nothing else. "I really guess I should say that I'm sorry for being so rude to you these past few weeks," Katara shyly told him.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I can understand why you would be so angry with me." Again, he flashed a white smile her way, making Katara even calmer.

"No, you were doing everything right," Katara insisted with force. "Everything you did was kind and helpful. I just shot you down every time, not even giving you a chance. That's why I should be sorry."

The corners of his lips played up, turning into a quirky grin. "No hard feelings," he said playfully. Katara grinned, simply pleased with the prince. He softened even further with her calmness. "Thank you, Katara," he nearly whispered, "for trusting me."

The way he said her name, the way it rolled so flawlessly off of his tongue, caught her attention. "Hey, I never said that I trusted you," she said playfully. He looked hurt, but Katara let him know through her expression that she was joking with him. "I will say that I can accept you, though." She then paused, debating whether or not to go on. "You're charming," she sputtered, "in that odd sort of way." Katara sat awkwardly, waiting to hear the prince's response.

He chuckled softly, a relief to Katara. "I like you too, Katara," he replied softly. "You're a good person." Katara blushed wildly. She wasn't used to the flattering compliments, and Zuko was the last person she had ever expected to hear them from. Her next action even surprised her, as she leaned over to embrace him. At first, he was equally as surprised, but he soon gave into the affection. Zuko knew that they now shared a bond that nothing could break. He knew that he now had a friend. To himself, he quietly thanked the oasis for bringing them together. Together they sat, watching the calm waters of the oasis enlighten their minds until they both fell asleep, still in the other's warm embrace.

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_ I think I spent about a hour and a half on this story. I didn't work all at once, obviously. I took breaks, but there's at least 1.5 hours worth of actual writing here. I'm fairly happy with the rate I can work at._

_Hey, and if anyone wants me to write something specific, message me with the details. I'd love to write something a little out of the ordinary. ;D Zutara may be my main riff, but hey, I can manage other ships. -nods-_

_Read, review, relive, and love! - Sazzy _


	2. Rain

_I do not own Avatar...unfortunately. --_

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**Rain**

Zuko looked gloomily outside. The rain had yet to stop, yet it had been pouring like this for two days straight. Yes sure, all of the locals saw the storms as an omen, but to Zuko, he couldn't have been any more unlucky. He groaned loudly, throwing his head down onto the padded window sill.

"Having fun, Princey?" called a familiar voice. Zuko turned around to see Toph, the group's earth bending master, leaning casually at the edge of the room.

"No," he huffed in return. "The rain is so…so…"

"Depressing?" Toph finished for him.

He put his head down again. "Yes," he mumbled into his arm, "depressing." The blind girl snickered, leaving Zuko alone. Again, he groaned, throwing himself painfully onto the window seat on the other side of the room. He landed with a thud, and hit his head on the ledge. "Ouch," he growled silently. Zuko rubbed his forehead, now wishing that he hadn't even woken up today.

With a sad disposition, he looked outside through the blurred rain. Zuko sighed, yet again. "Will this ever let up?" he pleaded with himself. He saw a flash of blue move cautiously through the court yard outside. This piped his interest. _Well, there's nothing better to do_, he reminded himself. With a groan, Zuko stood up, now heading for the door. Before he went out into the rain, he grabbed his cloak. It's not like it would keep him that dry, but it was better than walking out in public with just his pants on. With little effort, he slid the warm, dry cloak over his bear arms. A frown grew upon his face as he put his hood up, and began to take the first step outside.

The rain was even harder than he imagined. It pounded on top of his head and echoed in his ears. Even the protection of his hood couldn't keep him dry. Within minutes, his cloak was soaked. _Great_, he sighed, _just great._ There was nothing like being wet that could make a horrible day even worse. Zuko pulled his hood off, like it was going to make a difference anyway. He walked a short distance until he found himself in the center of the town's square. No one was out. Who in their right mind would be out in the rain? "I guess I'm a bit loopy then," Zuko chuckled to himself.

In the middle of the square was a large water fountain, which Zuko avoided to seek the protection of an over hang. It wasn't the greatest way to stay dry, but it was better than standing out in the rain. He stood absolutely still, unwilling to permit to being even less dry. Zuko again thought of the flash of blue that he had seen through the rain not so long ago. Rolling his eyes, he realized how slow he had been. Who else ran around in the rain in a blue dress? "Katara," he mumbled under his breath.

Her name was so sweet. The way it rang in his ears every time he heard it, yes, he would never grow tired of hearing her name. He looked up at the relentless sky, praying for a break in the clouds, but there was nothing. Zuko cursed the weather, but still shyly stepped out into the rain yet again. It ran down his face and dripped carelessly off of his chin. There was no way that it would stop any time soon, and that was a fact. It only took a minute for Zuko to decide that the comfort of the overhang was much more appealing than standing out in the direct rain. With his head down, he went back to his spot that he had left only moments ago.

Without much thought, Zuko flung his body against the heavy earth wall. He barely even flinched as the sudden surface hit him hard. Katara was still on his mind, for what reason he didn't know. There was nothing special between them other than that they traveled together, or was that a different type of special? Zuko remembered several weeks ago when he had joined the Avatar in his travels that the girl had been very disapproving toward him. Still, she had seemed to accept his presence a little more everyday.

For the first time that day, Zuko smiled. He was proud that she had accepted him into their lives. Zuko had always found it most important to earn the girl's trust over everyone else's. True, he did have to teach the Avatar fire bending, which required a lot of trust, but the girl he had a history with. Finding out that the other boy, Sokka, was more awkward with his presence than irritated was good enough. Then there was Toph, she never had anything against him to begin with, except when Zuko had accidentally burned her feet.

Zuko cringed at the thought and forced himself to think of something else. The rain had seemed to get strong in the time that he had been out there. A large cloud of gloom still hung over his shoulders. He swept his long bangs out of his face, and then stepped out into the rain yet again. This time, he ran, but no where in particular; he was running for the heck of it, because he wanted to get out of the rain. One misjudged step caused Zuko to come tumbling down to the cobble stone street. He groaned in pain, grabbing his aching shoulder that had hit the ground hardest. Why did the rain have to be such a burden to him? Why couldn't it just leave him alone?

The sound of weeping began to fill his ears. Dazed, Zuko followed the sound of the sobs. They came from behind the building that he had taken shelter under. He continued to following the sound with caution, a slight look of worry across his face. _What if it's a kid?_ he wondered. _Please, don't let it be a kid, _Zuko pleaded. If there was one thing he didn't like about being in public places, it was the children that crawled all over the place. Kids were like cats to him― he hated them, but they always seemed to just adore him. To his relief, it wasn't a child, but he was still concerned.

"Katara?" he called gently. The girl lifted up her head, but quickly wished that she hadn't. She buried her head further into her arms, which she had wrapped tightly around her knees. Zuko kneeled next to his friend, distressed seeing her this way. "Katara," he called again with concern, "are you alright?"

Katara didn't respond, her sobs still not coming to an end. Zuko wasn't sure what to do. He had never really been in this situation before, and frankly, he was clueless. Cautiously, he put his hand on her back, trying to comfort her. "It's okay," he told her as softly as he could. She leaned back to lie up against him, refusing to look up still. The rain still hadn't stopped, not making his predicament any better.

She looked so vulnerable to him now. For once, Katara wasn't the strong leader that he was used to seeing. This was her at her breaking point. Her tears kept coming with no sign of stopping, just like the rain. Every thought that Zuko had of Katara came rushing back into his mind. Whenever he had seen her before, she was the leader, in charge, the strongest. Seeing her cry like this was a shock. He had never seen a person so weak, so in danger of being hurt.

"I…I didn't want to cry," she managed to sputter out, choking back tears in the process. Zuko was astonished to hear her speak, let alone say that.

"It…it's okay," he tried to tell her with ease. "I'm here now. It will be okay." The girl looked up to him, her tears beginning to slow. He looked into her eyes, while even though they were somewhat bloodshot from crying, he could still see the richness in her eyes. "It's okay," he repeated, this time with more warmth. "I'm not going to leave you alone. I'll be right here."

She sniffed, feeling the tears coming back to her. "Thank you," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. "That's just what I needed to hear." Zuko was shocked when she wrapped her arms around him. He didn't know how to react, but he found himself putting a comforting arm around her slight waist. There was silence between them, but there was really no need for words. Katara sighed, and then smiled comfortingly.

Seeing her smile made Zuko smile. Maybe it wasn't so bad to cry every now and then. Maybe, just maybe, it was the people that did break down and cry that were the strongest out there. Katara was definitely one of the strongest people he had ever met in his life. So, maybe that meant that it was okay to shed a tear here and there. Besides, if Katara, that strong, powerful girl who had gone through so much, could cry with out feeling ashamed, maybe he could too.

Zuko began to feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He smiled and wiped them away without feeling bad. Katara nestled her head on his chest once again, and he held her closer. They both watched the rain slowly begin to let up around them. The tears had come to a stop, but neither of them spoke. All they did was sit in the comfort of one another watching the drumming of the rain slow until it was no more than the light pitter patter of drops against the cobblestones. Maybe the rain wasn't as depressing as he thought. Maybe the rain really was a good omen. After all, how could this be any more perfect? He was content and Katara was faithfully by his side, as the brilliant colors of a rainbow began to form over the sky where the sun had finally broken though the clouds.

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_ Okay, second one today that I am posting! Yay! Wow, this story series has only been up for a couple hours and I've gotten several hits. I'm very impressed. D Thanks for the favorites and alerts you guys!_

_mmmm'kays, I'm working on Shadowsole's request right now. So there should be another story up really soon! I'm always looking for a quick challenge. Hehe!_

_ Sazzy _


	3. Memories

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Avatar...wish I did though. --

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** Memories**

After nearly living for 80 years, he felt the sense of death just around the corner. His wife of around 60 years sat faithfully to his side. Ah, yes, those seven decades with her had been the best years of his life. Even through all of the pressures of running a country, she had always been there to comfort him at night. He had lived a very _interesting_ life. After the war had ended, back when he still had his youth, his uncle had taken his rightful role as Fire Lord, thus crowing him as his heir. Once his uncle died, he had taken the throne. That was over 35 years ago.

Now that he was nearing his death bed, all of those times he had spent cursing at the world seemed childish and immature. Again, he looked over at his spouse. Even though they had aged incredibly since their marriage, she still glowed. He reached out to touch her face for what could be the last time. "My dear wife," he whispered, struggling to speak. "Do you not remember the olden days? The times when we were still young, please say that you remember them."

A smile played up her wrinkled skin, which was still considerably darker than his own. "Yes, my love," she responded, still with the same gentle voice. "How could I forget? You were such a wild man to keep up with."

He found himself chuckling at the thought. "Yes," he admitted, "I was slightly hot headed, wasn't I?"

"Slightly?" he wife said teasingly. He smiled. After all of these years, she could still say the simplest things that could make him laugh.

"Do you remember when I proposed to you?" he asked her. She nodded, not ready to speak. "I had never been more nervous in my life. I remember being so frantic, and I was fearful that you wouldn't like my proposal gift."

"Yes," she sighed, lightly touching her neckline, "I remember." Her husband looked proudly at the pendant that hung from her neck to this day. It had taken him weeks to get the design right and even longer to get the courage to ask her. In the end though, the symbol of their two nations fused into one had been just the perfect gift.

"Oh and when we had our first child," he added. "I nearly fainted when you told me the news!"

She laughed that same laugh that he had adored when they were teenagers. "I think that you actually did faint when I told you that we were going to have a child." They both sighed, trying to remember the feeling. "And then the twins," she added. "What a surprise they were!"

"Yes, they were quite the surprise, weren't they?" He looked over to the corner of the room where his three children sat. The eldest, Akna, was just like her mother in every way. She had dark, rich skin and hair with icy blue eyes. It was Akna that had bore his first grandchild some twenty years ago. Asahi and Usara were the twins, and they had gotten his genes. They were pale skinned and golden eyed, just like him. He couldn't have been a happier man.

A sharp pain in his chest brought his pleasant thoughts to an abrupt stop. He coughed harshly, intensifying the pain. "My beloved, my time is becoming short, and I do not feel as if I can live for much longer." There were tears beginning to form in his wife's eyes. "Please, do not cry," he murmured. "I will always be with you, as you said to me so many years ago."

"Yes, yes I did, and I shall never forget." She didn't say anything after that. All she did was sit by her husband's side, watching the fire in his golden eyes flicker.

"Akna," he called weakly, "I want you to have this." With great struggle, he took the old crowning hair piece out of his hair. He began to hand it to his daughter. "Take this," he instructed. "You are plenty old enough to take this crown. It is time for you to lead our country. You are to be our next Fire Lord, or Lady rather."

Graciously, Akna pushed the crown away. "Father, I cannot," she told him hesitantly. "You know as well as I that I could not rule this country. Please, give it to my brother, your adoring son. He would be the perfect king for our nation." Her father looked at her, not fully understanding. "Trust me," she smiled, "Asahi would make a much better ruler than I ever could imagine. Besides, I will always be there to help my little brother, like you taught me when I was a child."

"Are you sure, Akna?" he asked. "You do not want this honor?"

"Yes, Father," she assured him. "I would not have it any other way."

Her smile made the elderly man melt. She was like her mother in so many ways it was nearly frightening. "If that is what you wish, Akna. Asahi, my loyal son, come here," he called. Asahi walked briskly, as he had so many decades ago, over to his father's bed. "Do you wish to take this crown, to rule this country, to follow in my footsteps? Choose wisely, but know that no matter what you choose, I will respect you decision." He waited for his son to respond.

"Akna," Asahi said to his sister, "I am honored that you would give up your spot at the throne for me, and for that, I cannot repay you." Asahi turned to his father and bowed. "Father, it would be my honor to follow in your footsteps as Fire Lord."

She began to tear up again, seeing her children like this. How many years had it actually been since she was teaching the how to walk, and then how to fight? It was true when her father had said that they grow up too fast.

"My loyal son, Asahi, do you accept this crown and all of its responsibilities?" Asahi kneeled beside the bed; his head down respectively and nodded. "Do you choose to accept that you shall never abuse your power?" Asahi nodded. "Most importantly, my son," the old Fire Lord paused, and his son looked up. "Do you promise to carry your head high and to always remember who you are?"

"Yes, Father, I do sincerely promise," Asahi whispered respectively.

His father smiled proudly. "Then I bestow upon you, my son, the crown that I have worn for many a decade." He neatly placed the crown on his son's head. His wife carefully pushed the pin through the hole at the base of the crown that would hold it in place on Asahi's head. "You are my proud son, Asahi, and I am proud to have you as my heir." Asahi stood, bowing with respect for his father. "You are now the new Fire Lord, my son, Fire Lord Asahi, son of Katara and Fire Lord Zuko."

Yet again, his coughing spasms began, sending chills down his children's backs. "Come, my siblings," Usara called from her quiet spot. "Let us leave Mother and Father in peace." The three left the room, each one bowing to their dying father as the exited.

"So, Fire Lord Asahi?" Katara said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "To believe that my children were to grow up as royalty," her voice traveled off.

"That's what you get for marrying an over zealous prince," Zuko chuckled. He coughed again, this time more painful than ever.

Katara began to feel the tears well up in the corners of her eyes. She stood up and gently kissed her husband's forehead. "I didn't marry an over zealous prince," she said in a hushed voice. "I married my friend and my one true love."

He knew that he didn't have much more time left, as the pain in his chest was telling him. "I love more than anything else in the world, and I'll be waiting for you in the after life." He placed his hand on top of hers and gently squeezed― his strength diminishing. "I'll always be with you, just keep that in your heart."

Katara wiped a tear from her eyes. "That's what I told you before you left for the Fire Nation, the year before you asked me to marry you." She felt his grip on her hand begin to loosen, and she looked into his dying golden eyes, which still shown of strength and arrogance.

"I love you, Katara," he said weakly, his hand now slipping out of hers. For a moment, there was no sound. She knew he was gone, but Katara could feel his presence. She always had been able to feel him, even when he wasn't by her side.

"I love you, too, Zuko," she finally cried quietly. She kissed his cold lips one last time before turning to leave the room. Just before she exited, she took one last look at him. Even now, she could see him radiating with pride. This was the way he would have wanted it. Just the two of them alone as the other finally slipped away. Another tear flowed down her cheek as she took her pen into her hand. Katara dipped the end of the pen into a bottle of ink and began to write down all of her memories. Her memories of home in the South Pole, the ones of the fist year traveling with Aang, the ones of defeating Ozai, but mostly, she wrote down the memories that she and Zuko had shared together time and time again.

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Awww! It's a sad one! D -wipes tears- This one is for Shadowsole, who was the one who asked me to write this one. She asked me to write a short about Zuko or Katara on his or her death bed or wedding night. I kind of added my own little twist to it, like when the kids came in, but other than that, the base of it was from her idea.

Okay! I'm really on a role! Three stories in one night...yeah, I'm posting this at 12:15 in the morning, but hey, I started it about an hour ago. I'm really looking forward to seeing any other suggestions thrown at me. Come on, I'll write just about what ever you'd want and add my own little touch to it.

As usual, read, review, relive, repeat. Sazzy


	4. Luck

_Disclaimer: Avatar is not mine...unfortunately. o _**  
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**Luck**

Katara walked blindly through the hallway of the Fire Nation palace. The fire lit lamps were dim, so her only way of getting around was using the wall as a guide. She didn't know why she was here, or why she had decided that it was a good idea to go for a walk _inside_ at this hour. With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself to go forward. It's not like she was lost, or was she? _Haven't I seen that mural before? I probably have_, she moaned in her thoughts. Time and time again she questioned why she was here. "Because," she silently told herself, "We just _had_ to stay in the Fire Nation after the war ended. Iroh just _had_ to invite us to stay in the palace, and we just _had_ to agree." She slid against the wall, miserably muttering to herself.

"What are you doing here?" someone seethed. The sound of his voice sent quivers down her spine, as she looked up to confirm who it was. Yep, it was Zuko. In the same amount of time it took Katara to silently curse the world, Zuko realized that it was her. "Oh, Katara," he said, using much softer than his tone before. "What are you doing out here so late?"

After standing up, Katara rubbed the wrinkles out of her skirt. She stood formally in front of Zuko, one hand placed defiantly on her hip. "Well, I got bored and decided that my room wasn't the best place to find entertainment." He looked at her, half amused, half not knowing what to say. "I'll be on my way now, so if you'll excuse me," Katara told him, trying to push past him.

He grabbed her arm as she began to pass. "I don't think so," he whispered slyly. Katara looked up at him in disgust. "Come on," he insisted. "You said that you wanted to do something, let's go."

Katara pulled her arm away from his firm grasp. "I don't think so, Zuko," she told him strongly. "We may have fought side by side during the battle, but I still don't trust you enough to be alone with you."

He smiled, more specifically, his eyes smiled at her response. "You know that you want to come with me," he joked. Zuko held her gaze, his eyes still dazzling her.

"And why would you think that?" she questioned him. She looked at him playfully, awaiting his answer.

"Because," he began, taking a step closer, "you haven't broken eye contact with me since I got here." Katara was speechless. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She hadn't lost eye contact with him for one second. Just to prove him wrong, she shied away, turning her head in the opposite direction. Even then, she found herself staring at him through the corner of her eyes. His attentive golden eyes were still fixed on her. He had her beat.

"Okay," she gave in, "you win. I'll go with you." Zuko smiled widely, flashing his too perfect of a smile. Katara rolled her eyes mischievously, as Zuko took her hand once again. This time, she allowed him to gently pull her in the direction that he wanted. "Can I ask where we're going?" she asked him as they sped around another corner.

He glanced back to look at her, brimming humorously. "Nope," he told her. "It's a secret. You'll find out when we get there." Katara couldn't help but to wonder what type of sick joke he was playing on her, yet she went along with it. In fact, she was enjoying this. "Okay, look away," he instructed her, letting her go.

Katara folded her arms across her chest. "Just why exactly do I need to look away? Afraid I may break in?" she snickered.

Zuko smiled at her slyly, opening the lock to the door that was in front of them. He let Katara walk in front of him, gently closing the door behind him silently.

Within a moment's notice, Katara was well aware that the room she was in was too perfect. The walls were decorated with just the right amount of artwork and banisters. There was a long table against the wall to her right that had rows of pictures on it. Then there was the perfectly made bed in the center of the room, up against the back wall. It too was made up nicely with glorious specks of color in it ranging from blues to reds to gold. "Where are we?" Katara asked, curious to know who could maintain such a beautiful room.

"It's my room," Zuko shrugged as if it were no big deal. Katara stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" Zuko asked, wanting to know why she wasn't moving. "Oh, seriously, Katara, I'm not going to do anything bad to you. Lighten up a little, okay?" He gently grabbed her waist and coaxed her forward. "Besides, we're not here to marvel at my room, there's a balcony with this fantastic view of the gardens that I want you to see," he told her with excitement.

"You guys have gardens here?" Katara asked. Zuko looked at her skeptically, giving her a 'What-type-of-question-is-that?' sort of stare. "Never mind then," she added quickly. He led her to a door, which was hidden by a long pair of drapes. When they stepped outside, Katara noticed that she could hardly see. It was that late out and there was that little light. "What are you doing?" she asked Zuko.

He was standing several feet away, aiming his hand at something in the distance. A fast stream of fire came from the tips of his finger, and then the entire balcony was lightened up. "Giving us some light," he said with pride while winking at her.

"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" Katara asked him smugly.

"I can't say that I haven't practiced,' joked Zuko. Katara laughed along with him delicately. Her voice was honey to the prince's ears. He sat up on a think pillar ledge and motioned for her to do the same. She readily sat down next to him, eyes wandering all over the vast garden that was ahead of her. "Do you like it?" he asked her fluently.

"It's beautiful, Zuko," she marveled. "Thanks for showing me." Katara turned her head abruptly to face him. She never knew that she was sitting that close to him, as her lips faintly touched his jaw line. Quickly, Katara back turned around. "Sorry," she muttered. A rush of embarrassment grew over her.

Instead of being angered, Zuko merely smiled at her. "You did nothing wrong, Katara, just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

That reason sounded good enough for her, but she was still blushing faintly. "So," she began, trying to put the awkwardness behind her. "Is there any thing else to see out here? I mean, the view is nice and all, but is this it?"

He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist again. Katara felt her heart beating rapidly when he touched her. "This okay?" he confronted her, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. Her head slowly nodded yes, and she felt him hold on to her tightly. It was a firm, yet gentle embrace. She could feel his strong arm wrapped around her, yet he was so delicate and careful. "See that?" he asked her, pointing off into the distant gardens.

"Yes," Katara nodded. "What is it?"

"It's a lavender bridge moth, very rare. There are rumors that those who see it will have quite the luck." Zuko looked over at her, his eyes deep and sincere. "But I don't need luck. I've never really needed it," he said in a saddened voice. Katara lightly touched his arm, hoping to make him perk up. "I don't need luck," he repeated, "because I have you." Her eyes searched his for any sign of playfulness, but she only saw sincerity. He carefully put his hand on the side of her face.

"Zuko," Katara whispered, her voice trailing off. He moved closer to her, and then his lips barely touched her cheek. A wave of chills went down Katara's spine. Her mind went ballistic. Every thing that she ever thought about Zuko was coming into her thoughts in a rush. He was kind-hearted, gentle, willing, and strong. Now Katara started to think of him in an even different way. She knew that he was pretty nice looking, but never had she really thought of it that deeply. Katara suddenly found herself craving more affection from him, but his voice broke her train of thought.

"Sorry," he mumbled with sorrow. He turned away from her. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry," Zuko apologized quietly.

"No," Katara told him softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. You did everything absolutely right," she said, remembering what he had said earlier.

He was about to turn around to retort, when she put her arms around his neck. She hung her head low, in a submissive way. When she brought her gaze up, he was there waiting for her. The moment that her lips touched his, everything felt right. There was a passion that they shared, a bond that would never be broken again. Zuko pulled back, his hand now touching her face. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her again.

"See, Zuko," Katara said very softly once they parted again. "I don't need luck either. I have you to keep me happy." Zuko smiled softly as he placed his arms around her once again. Katara held on to him briskly, never wanting to let go. The palace gardens didn't have the same affect on her as earlier. How could they when there was someone next to her that she loved dearly? The lavender bridge moth may be just a myth, but there was no fantasy behind the way that she felt right now. Who needed luck when you already have everything you could ask for?

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_Yep, this is my fourth story within the past 24 hours. I like this!Yes, I know that the last one was a bit not so happy...and Zuko was old, like KitKat said (lol), but this one is more recent...like good recent. Meaning Zuko is still hot...you're welcome KitKat. (lol again)_

_ So yeah, you hopefully know the drill. Give me ideas or I write my own stuff. I'm half-way done with one that I think that I'm going to call "Constellation" but I'm kind of skeptical about the plot. Bleh...yeah._

_ Anyway, as usual, read, review, relive, repeat. Sazzy, out. ;) _


	5. Things I'll Never Say

_Disclaimer: I own ATLA...I'm also a 400 foot tall purple platypus-bear with pink horns and silver wings. . I am lying!! Unfortunately. '[_

_Written in Katara's POV. _

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**Things I'll Never Say**

Above all things in this world, I can safely say that I despise Zuko with a _burning_ passion. So why does he choose to single me out over the rest of the group? Call me crazy, but I think me may like me. No, no, that can't be it. It has to be his guilty conscious. Yeah, that sounds just about right. He should feel bad. I mean, look at all the things he's done to me! I mean, us, things he's done to us, the group, the gang.

Seriously, it's not like every day your enemy comes over to your camp and says, "Hi! I'm good now! Can I join your group!" inserting wild, uncontrollable twitches where need be, but that's what Zuko did. Well, not exactly that way, but it gets the point across. He came up to us and asked to join our group. Of course, we all told him to get lost, which he did. In the end though, as much as I hate to admit it, he did save us from Combustion Man. Why, though, why oh why did Aang have to go into the whole _destiny_ thing? "I think you were meant to be my fire bending teacher," like we really need him specifically to teach Aang fire bending. A _rock_ could teach Aang fire bending better than Zuko could.

Still, everyone else seems to like him. To my surprise, Sokka actually likes him. I would have thought that my brother would be the last person to accept Zuko, well aside from myself. Even after what he did to Toph, which she swears was an accident, she still likes him. I just don't get it. How can they just let him in like that so quickly? Probably because they haven't been hurt the way I have. They weren't the ones he comforted in the crystal catacombs, and they weren't the ones that were hurt the most.

Now that we have to live with the person I hate most, he's unavoidable. _Everyone_ likes him, like I said, and that's not an understatement. Even Appa likes him, and he's just a ten-ton flying bison! So, yeah, everyone thinks that I'm paranoid, even better for me. Why can't we just toss his over the ledge of the air temple? It would be so much easier on me. Then again, Aang does need Zuko to teach him fire bending, and Sokka does seem to like talking to him. . .No, I can't start thinking like that. Zuko is just putting on the innocent face so he can get to us. The sad thing is, though, it worked and it will always work. Why does he have to act so perfect?

Perfect? Did I actually say that? I don't think I've ever used _Zuko_ and_perfect_ in the same sentence— ever. Anyway, like I was saying, he seems so perfect for our group. He cleans up after himself, he rational, and heck, he can even cook decently enough. So, maybe he isn't that bad entirely. I still don't like him that much, but I suppose that I could give him a shot. What's the risk? I could only have my heart shattered again. Oh wait, you can't break what's already broken, my bad. He has tried to apologize to me, more than once, to be honest. Maybe I should cut him some slack, at least give him half of a chance. Am I giving him too much credit?

Okay, so maybe I am being a bit rash over all of this. Maybe Zuko does have good intentions. Maybe he is trying to be good. Maybe I'm just crazy. I know that I should forgive him and accept him, but I just can't. There's a void in my heart that won't let me. Just because I'm going to have to try to like Zuko now, doesn't mean that I have to particularly enjoy it. It's going to be hard to do, but maybe, just maybe I can accept him, maybe not so much as a friend, but as a person. I will admit though, he has changed a lot since the last time I saw him back in Ba Sing Se. He seems different. His attitude seems _much_ different. He looks _way_ different.

Why don't I just go kiss him now? I cannot believe the things that are coming out of my mouth right now. I'm getting all mushy over the last person on earth I'd want to go all sappy on. I blame hormones. They're always a good thing to blame. But gosh, why Zuko, of all people, why him? Just let me pack my bags and I'll be gone before you can say . . . I shouldn't even say it. Why, because it would probably end up being something stupid or really about Zuko. Everything I think of now comes up with Zuko! What I would give to get him out of my head.

That's it! I'm just going to let it all out now. So, don't tell anyone, okay? Right, so here it goes. Zuko is totally amazing. He can do just about anything, really. I don't know why, but I think I'm starting to like him. Not like him in that kindergarten sort of way, but like him as in . . .You know, the majority of you are probably all around my age, so you all know what I mean when I say that I like him! For goodness sake, why is everything so difficult to explain!

Okay, I really should calm down. I just spilled everything I've been against. Just shoot me now, and make it quick so I don't feel anything, alright? No, I can't do that. Zuko would probably have a fit if did anything to myself. Even better, I'm worried about how he'll think of me now. I'm really suffering from all of this. Oh well, it's not like I can do much about it any more. I've let the cat out of the bag. If you'll excuse me now, I have a price to go yell at.

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-cough- Er...this one was unintentional, but when my fingers say to type, heck, I let them do what they want! P

I think this one's a bit...weird, but I kind of like it. No dialogue, just straight out input from Katara. I felt like I was doing a talk show at a few parts...meh.. . 

Anyway, you know what makes me happy? REVIEWS! 8D So, read, review, relive, repeat.

- Sazzy


	6. What If

Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA

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**What If**

I always wondered what it would be like to travel with the Avatar. Well, now I suppose that I'm going to find out. I told off my father on the day of black sun, told him I was going to join up with the Avatar. To even imagine me, Zuko, ex-prince of the Fire Nation, would be in the Avatar's group. Now, if that isn't crazy, I don't know what is.

Of course, being me, it's not all that great. Yeah, sure, I'll have a group to travel with once we leave the Western Air Temple, but I've got a haunch that someone, probably me, is going to end up getting hurt. Why do I say that? Well, let's just say that a certain someone doesn't particularly like me that much. Guess who it is yet? I'll give you a hint. She hates me, but a lot of people thought that there was a _connection_ between us while we were in the catacombs. If you haven't guessed who it is, I'd suggest not even finishing listening to this. If you do know who I'm talking about, good job, because I really wasn't being that difficult.

Honestly, I really wish that she wouldn't hate me like that. She does have a really good reason to hate me, I mean, I'd hate myself too if I were in her shoes. I'm probably going to keep saying this until I die, but I really want her to trust me. That's my main goal of joining the Avatar, aside from teaching the kid fire bending. To have Katara forgive me for everything I've done, though, that's what I want more than anything. I've hurt her so much over the past year, and I really want to make it up to her. Whether or not she let's me do that though is another story. If everything were to go right, then she'd sit with me and let me explain, but seeing as she won't even stay in the same room with me, I have no chance at all.

Besides, even if I did tell her sorry, where would I start? "Oh, hey, Katara, you know, I'm really sorry about tying you to a tree and taunting you with your necklace." Yeah, that would go over really well with her. It's just so hard to think of what to say to her. What if, though, just by some freak accident, we got lost in the temple? Then she'd have to listen to me! No, that's stupid, and besides, how would I get her to follow me in the first place? This is going to be even harder than I originally thought.

This is so frustrating! Why is it so hard to be good? It probably wouldn't have been as bad if I hadn't been bad in the first place. Life is too complicated, especially mine. All I want is for Katara to love me. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wrong words there. I guess that I'm still kind of used to thinking that about my father. I didn't mean it like that about Katara. Heck, if she did love me, which I'd probably be dead by the time that would happen, I'd be scared. Actually, if she even acted like she liked me, I'd be a bit frightened. I'm just so used to us fighting; any other sign of kindness would be intimidating. Although a bit of positive energy from her would be nice for me.

Don't think that I'm getting all soft now. It's important to me that I regain her trust, but it's not like I'm going to go head over heels. Yeah, sure I'll have to go a bit out of the way to get to her, but that doesn't mean anything. Then again, her brother and the Avatar could think that I. . .I don't want to think about that. Ha, to think if anyone thought that I liked her. Oh, I would pay to see the expression on their faces. In fact, I'd pay to see my own expression.

Ah, shoot, talking about that has my head spinning. Now I've got her pretty little face dancing all over my thoughts. Not that I think she's pretty or anything but…Uh, I'm never going to live this down, am I? People are going to start thinking things. I don't want to think that way about her at all. It's not that I don't like her. I just don't like her like that. Okay, I will admit that she is a bit…er, attractive, but it's not like I'm about to go confess my feelings to her. I can't do that because there's nothing to tell. Ha, ha, didn't see that one coming did you?

What do you want to hear? If you want to hear me say something along the lines of I like her, hate to break it to ya, but it's not happening. Yeah, I'll admit I like her better sometimes than others, and I'll also admit that she's not hard to look at. Just don't put things in my mouth. I didn't say that I liked her directly. Do I like her indirectly? It's a possibility. I'm not going to say anything that's going to make anyone excited. So, for those of you who are going to follow me everywhere, sorry, but you're not going to get anything out of me.

Although, I do sometimes wonder what it would be like if she didn't hate me. If she liked me, even as a friend, what would it be like? What if we were friends then would we be really close? Would we be close enough to actually be together? Now, I'm not saying I like her, but if she did have deeper feelings toward me, heck, I'd be all over her. Not in that way, sick minded freaks get your head out of the gutter! Okay, now that I'm completely embarrassed and feel like an idiot, I'm going to go put on my happy face and try to win this girl's trust. Still, what if she wasn't so mad at me? I bet we'd make an amazing team. She's a master water bender, and I'm pretty good at fire bending. Together, we could make a pretty unstoppable team. That'd be a sight. Me and Katara working together, fighting side by side, I want to live to see that happen.

* * *

_Sorry for being slightly late, but I do other things other than write. xD_

_I'm just about half way done working on another short. I'm really sorry for not making a Christmas one, but hey, I was busy. So, to make up for it, I'm doing a New Year's story instead. If I feel like it and if I have time, I'll make a short after Christmas special._

_As usually, read, review, relive, repeat._

_ - Sazzy_


	7. The Southern Water Tribe

_I don't own ATLA or it's characters..._**

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**

**The Southern Tribe**

After the war ended in the summer, the gang decided that they weren't done traveling quite yet. Why not finish off the year together before going their separate ways? The rest of the summer they spent in the Fire Nation, allowing Aang and Zuko to complete their fire bending training until they were both good enough to be considered masters. In the fall, they traveled to the Earth Kingdom for Toph and Aang to learn different styles of earth bending. Finally, for the winter, they went to the Southern Water Tribe to celebrate the winter solstice and the coming New Year.

Zuko had chosen to stay with them, even though he knew that he should be home in the Fire Nation preparing himself to be the next Fire Lord. Uncle had been crowned as the new king after Ozai had been over thrown, and he had chosen Zuko as his heir. He couldn't have been happier. Still, Zuko felt it was the right thing to finish up his traveling while he was still young. Ever since the end of the war and even a bit before that, he and Katara had become very good friends. They had grown exceptionally close over the past few months.

When they arrived at the South Pole, though, he couldn't have been more miserable. It was cold and there was snow everywhere. Katara laughed quietly when she heard him complaining about the weather. "It's the South Pole," she had reminded him. "If it's above thirty degrees for too long, well, it wouldn't be a pole any more."

He rolled his eyes. "I know that, but I hate the cold. I'm used to blistering hot temperatures in the Fire Nation. This is horrible," he whined to her quietly.

To keep from laughing aloud, Katara hid her smiles behind her parka's sleeve. "Well," she giggled, "you're just going to have to get used to it. After all, we are going to be here for a while."

Zuko groaned and fell back into the white, fluffy snow bank behind him. "I don't even have something that warm to wear. If I don't kill myself out here from falling into the water, it's going to be from hypothermia." Katara sat down next to him, putting her hand on his chest. He looked up at her in pain, and she couldn't help but to smile.

"I'm not going to let you die out here, Zuko," she told him gently. "We can find a nice, warm parka for you to wear. Trust me, we always keep a few extras. My father might even have one for you." He looked up into her deep blue eyes. Zuko took her hand and pulled himself up. After thoroughly brushing the snow off of his freezing pants, Zuko stood still.

"You know, blue is a new thing for me. I never could see myself wearing blue," he wondered out loud.

Katara playfully pushed him back into the snow. "I never knew that you were so concerned over your appearance. You know, red makes you seem even paler than usual, but maybe a bit of blue would make you look a bit, uh, more not so ghostly white."

"Oh, thanks," he laughed, "making fun of my paleness. I think my confidence just plummeted." Zuko walked ahead of her toward the village, waiting for her every now and then.

"You have your ego to make you feel better," Katara reminded him. "You've got the biggest ego that I've ever seen. That's what I like about you. You always have a drive to keep going, and I know that you can make it through something this small."

"What, that's all you like about me, my craziness?" he asked. He glared at her before she threw herself at him. Katara playfully roused his hair.

"No," she mused. "I like your hair too." Katara placed her hand on the top of his head, and she rustled his messy hair again before continuing toward the village.

"Two can play at that game," he challenged. Katara saw the mischievous grin in his eyes as he launched himself at her. They tumbled through the snow, laughing while they rolled along together. When they finally stopped, they were on top of one another. Zuko looked into the eyes of the girl on top of him. For a long time, they just studied the other. It wasn't until Sokka came calling that they parted.

"Katara, come on! Gran Gran is waiting to see us," he shouted excitedly. He stopped abruptly when he saw his sister and the prince sitting awkwardly next to each other and frighteningly close. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No! No, nothing happened, Sokka," Katara assured her brother. She quickly stood up and dusted the snow off of her parka. "Come on," she called, "we need to get Zuko some proper clothing. He'll freeze if we leave him like this."

Sokka folded his arms across his chest defiantly in an amusing way. "What? The big, bad fire bender can't handle the cold?" he teased. Zuko began to rise defensively, yet still keeping a smirk on his face.

"Okay you two," Katara warned. They both looked over to her, hands on her hips. She watched as Zuko and her brother released their grasp on the other's neck.

"Oh, come on, Katara," Zuko sighed. "You know that I wouldn't strangle or even hurt Sokka, at least not when any one was watching." Sokka punched the fire bender in the arm, and before she knew it, they were fighting again.

"Sokka!" someone called from a short distance. His voice was strong and it boomed with authority. The young water tribe warrior looked up at the sound of his name. Instantly, a smile came over his face.

"Dad!" he exclaimed. He ran over to his father and embraced him. Katara was quick to follow. "Dad, it's so good to see you! We haven't seen you since we left the Fire Nation."

Hakoda smiled and caringly put his hand on his children's shoulders. "Yes, after you and your friends defeated the Fire Lord, I came back home. Of course, I would have loved to stay with you kids, but I had things to attend to here."

"We understand, Dad," Katara told him confidently. "It's your job to take care of the tribe. You're our chief." She hugged her father again, and he smiled down at her.

Zuko looked puzzled and pointed at Hakoda. "Wait, you're the chief? You're the Southern Water Tribe's chief?" he asked.

Hakoda shrugged a little. "I guess you could call me that. I mean, we don't have any formal system here, we're only so big, you know. Though, everyone has acknowledged me as their leader, I suppose," he explained as simply as possible. Zuko nodded his head, seeming to understand. "Besides, we're a tightly knit community. Everyone knows everyone. We're all one big intertwined family."

"Which basically means that Dad is in charge," Sokka summed up. Hakoda laughed modestly.

"Well, simply put, I guess that is accurate enough," he chuckled. Hakoda looked over at Zuko, who was beginning to shiver wildly. "Come along, young man," he directed, "let's get you some proper clothing to wear. You'll freeze to death if you stay in that while you're here."

"It's Zuko, sir," he told him. "My name is Zuko, and it's a pleasure to meet you Chief Hakoda."

A smile came about the man's face. "Ah, yes, Prince Zuko, I've heard so many good things about you," Hakoda said, glancing over to his daughter. Katara blushed and looked away, seeing her father's smirk. "And, please, son, just call me Hakoda. Chief Hakoda makes me feel too old and too important. None of that is necessary."

Zuko grinned at the chief. "Will do, and likewise, just call me Zuko. We don't need to worry about titles. It's the name that's important," Zuko told him.

"I think I'm going to like you, Zuko," Hakoda chuckled. Zuko grinned proudly, doing his best not to quiver from the frigid temperatures. "Come on, Zuko," Hakoda called openly, "let's get you your parka, and welcome to the Southern Water Tribe."

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But wait! There's more! xD

Sorry for the long wait...I was out of state, if that counts as an excuse. . Anyway, this one is connected to the next three or so. They're all about the Southern Water Tribe. So, be ready! I'll probably post the next two (_Penguin Sledding_ and maybe _The Winter Solstice_) Yep, so there we go.

Oh, one more thing...is anyone else here a _Twilight_ fan? _Twilight_ is a vampire romance novel series. I just got _Eclipse_ and I'm dying to read it.

Anyway, as usualy, read, review, relive, repeat.

- Saz


	8. Penguin Sledding

_I don't own Avatar...but I do own other thing! ...Just not Avatar. :(_

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**Penguin Sledding**

Zuko had just exited the hut where Hakoda lived. He brushed at the wrinkles in the parka and thick pants he was now wearing. Both articles of clothing had the traditional Water Tribe colors and white markings. The hood was laced with white fur, and even by itself it was heavier than his usual clothing. Katara was sitting outside the hut, waiting patiently for him to emerge.

"Hey!" she called excitedly when she saw him. "It doesn't look half bad, Zuko. It makes your skin look three shades darker," she joked. Zuko smirked playfully at her. Katara grabbed his arm, tugging him in one direction. "Come on," she urged, "there's something I want to show you."

"H-ey!" he choked as she began dragging him along. "Katara, where are we going?" She barely even looked back at him before running forward again. Zuko struggled to keep up with her in the dense snow. He watched Katara glide across the ice and snow, as if it were child's play. Unlike her, though, Zuko didn't have the convenience of sliding around on snow all day.

They started to slow when Sokka and Aang came into view. "Hi, Katara," Aang shouted excitedly. "Are you guys ready?" Zuko looked back and forth between Aang and Katara. The young Avatar was smiling endlessly, and Zuko couldn't help but to feel a bit worried.

"Sokka," Katara began. Her brother looked up with the same quirky smile as Aang. "Are you ready to head up to the hill?" Sokka nodded briskly and with enthusiasm. "That's great. Now, Aang, you take care of getting Sokka there, and I'll take care of Zuko." Not even a second passed before the Avatar whipped out his glider and snatched up Sokka to glide away.

"Katara, where the heck are you taking me?" Zuko asked with slight worry. Katara smirked at him and tossed her hood off of her head.

"We're going to the hill, and you'll see what happens from there. Now, hold on to me. We need to get to the hill quickly before the sleds get away," she instructed him.

Cautiously, Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara's waist. "Wait, why would the sleds get away? They can't move on their own, right?" Katara playfully smirked back at him with mischief in her eyes. "Oh no," Zuko groaned, fearing the worst.

"Hold on tight, Zuko," she told him again. "We need to hurry!" Zuko did as she said and held on to her waist again, slightly blushing. Katara moved her arms up and down in a smooth motion, and before he knew it, they were gliding over the ice. The wind battered his face, and the coldness stung his eyes.

"What is this?" he shouted through the wind. "Ice surfing?"

Katara smiled and laughed. "I guess you could call it that." Zuko grinned when he heard her laugh. That was what he liked to hear, her laughing. It made him happy to know that she was in a good mood.

When they finally stopped gliding across the icy ground, Zuko was looking out over a hill. The acids in his stomach were churning, as Zuko fought the urge to hurl. Katara took one look down at him and chuckled. "Not feeling well?" she asked. Zuko shook his head and groaned. "I can help you with that, but you have to let go of me first," Katara told him with a grin.

"Right," Zuko mumbled, quickly letting go of her. He soon fell to his knees, still unable to hold himself up. Katara giggled and placed her hands on the sides of his head. She slowly circled her fingers around, her hands glowing with water.

"Is that better, Zuko?" she asked after several minutes of rubbing his head. Zuko didn't answer, merely nodding to get his point across. "Hmmm, maybe just a little bit longer," Katara muttered to herself. Again, she rubbed the side of his head in small circles, healing his faint sickness.

Finally, Zuko was well enough to stand up. "Thanks, Katara," he softly spoke. "That feels a lot better." She smiled at him and took his hand. "So, where are the sleds at?" Zuko asked. Katara, again, laughed at him, pulling him forward toward the top of the hill. Once there, Zuko saw several dozen animals with four flippers waddling aimlessly around the ice. They were oddly loud, and about the size of a small child.

"They're penguins," Katara said, as if reading his mind. "They are actually pretty placid, and what's even better is that they're people friendly." From a short distance away, Aang and Sokka could be seen walking amongst the large birds. They seemed to be scouting through the group.

"What are they doing?" Zuko asked in a low voice. "What are we doing in a field of penguins?"

"When I said that we needed to get to the sleds before they leave," Katara began, "this is what I meant. We're going penguin sledding." Zuko's jaw dropped in disbelief. "It's not dangerous, Zuko, just relax. We've done this too many times to count. No big deal. Come on," —she grabbed his hand— "let's go pick out some penguins."

Zuko planted his feet. "Are you _insane_? You want me to get on one of those and slide down a hill?"

"Yeah, that's just about right!" Katara smiled. "Come on, Zuko, I think Sokka found you a penguin already." Hesitantly, Zuko followed her through the crowd of animals until they got to Sokka. "They don't bite, Zuko," she confirmed to him.

Cautiously he reached out to touch the penguin. It grunted, and Zuko withdrew his hand with a gasp. Zuko heard Sokka snicker under his breath as he mounted another penguin. "Just sit, hang on, and go!" he shouted as he sped off down the hill.

"Wait for me, Sokka!" Aang called, quickly hopping onto a smaller penguin to race down the hill.

"Well," Katara whispered with excitement, "are you ready?" She sat down on the back of a penguin, holding another bird next to her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he sighed. Zuko carefully sat down on the penguin's back, closing his eyes and waiting for the worst. Before he knew it, the wind was blowing in his face, licking his cheeks with their icy temperatures. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked around wildly to see where Katara was. She was whooping with joy, waving her arms in the air, as they plummeted down to side of the mountain.

"Isn't this fun!" she cried completely overjoyed.

"Yeah," Zuko finally shouted back, "this is pretty amazing!" The icy wind stung his face, but the exhilaration was incredible. At the speed they were going at, everything around them was a blur. Zuko's eyes were widened, and he began to smile endlessly. This rush had lifted his spirits, made him feel so high. Snow was being kicked up and flew into his face, blurring his vision slightly, but Zuko still forced himself to keep his eyes open. The whole way down the side of the mountain, he and Katara were cheering, yelling with pleasure from the thrill of the ride.

When they finally reached the bottom and slid to a stop, Aang and Sokka were waiting for them. "So, how was it?" Aang asked urgently.

"Totally and completely amazing," Zuko grinned. Aang punched the air with his fist, and then began running back up the mountain to go down again. Sokka feebly smirked at the prince before following Aang up the steep slope. Zuko silently laughed under his breath, but then turned his attention to Katara.

"So, maybe it wasn't as bad as you thought. Now was I right or was I right?" she grinned. Katara smiled at him.

Zuko sighed and laughed a little too. "You were right, it was fun." He looked over to her once again, just to see her smiling face. "You want to go again?" he asked sheepishly.

Katara began to smirk. "I thought you'd never ask, Zuko." They both laughed before Zuko grabbed hold of her waist again. "You may want to close your eyes this time. We don't want a repeat of what happed last time," she suggested to him cautiously.

Zuko shook his head in disagreement. "Nah, I think I can handle it. Besides," he smirked, "if I do get sick, you'll just have to make me feel better again."

Katara giggled and stroked the side of his face. "Okay, Zuko," she sighed. "Now let's get back up to the top so we can go sledding again!"

Zuko readily nodded eager to go back up to the top. _Penguin sledding_, he chucked to himself. Who would have known?

* * *

Yep, here's the second part of the Water Tribe Short Series. There's just a few more.

Now, roses are red, and violets are blue. It makes me really sad when you don't review. xD

On top of that, I would like to announce that I finished the book Eclipse, and it was amazing! Vampire love... 33333

Read, review, relive, repeat.

- Saz


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